Apparatus for flushing and repacking automobile wheels



ay 3%, 1939;. c. JACKSON 1 2 APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING AND REPACKING AUTOMOBILE WHEELS Filed Nov. 22, 1958 E Ql i Patented May 30, 1939 "rel" APPARATUS FOR FLUSHKNG AND REPACK- ENG AUTOMOBILE WHEELS Cecil Jackson, Sardis, @hio Application November 22, 1938, Serial No. 241,785

' (Jlaims. ((031. 384-1) This invention relates to a device for efiiciently Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational de- .FFHCE lubricating the front wheels of automobiles. tailed view, partly in section, of the operating The present practice of lubricating the front valve for the flushing liquid; wheels of automobiles permits easy removal of Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation of 5 the outer bearing of a wheel for cleaning of old the flushing tube; and 5 grease and repacking with fresh grease. l-iow- Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the ever, cleaning and repacking of the hub and influted cone used during the flushing operation.

ner bearing cannot so readily be accomplished Referring to said drawing, the reference nubecause the majority of front wheel construcmeral i designates ahollow, frusto-conical,

19 tions include a grease seal or retainer rigidly sheet metal base. Rlveted, or otherwise faslocated exteriorly of the inner bearing. Attened, to the interior upper edge of the base i tempts at removal or" these grease seals usually is a ring 2 from which depends an integral results in complete mutilation of the seals and splash shield 3. Extending inwardly from and render the same unfit for further use. Few, if formed integral with the ring 2 are radially disany, automobile service stations or general autoposed arms Q whose inner extremities terminate 3g;

mobile repair shops carry renewal grease seals in with a diametrically centered nave 5. A pan 20 stock because of the vast number of sizes and is housed within the base 5 directly beneath the makes which would be required to service all open bottom of the splash shield 3.

makes and models of automobiles. Because of The nave 5 has a threaded central bore adaptthis situation, the almost universal practice is ed to removably receive the lower end of a fiushto remove the grease by probing. Manifestly, ing tube 5. lhe tube 6 is externally threaded the entire interior surface cannot be convenientthroughout its entire longitudinal extent except ly reached and, as a consequence, all of the old for a plain area midway between its ends and grease is not removed. New grease is inserted which is devoid of threads. The plain area is by means of a putty knife or similar instruprovided with a plurality of apertures or perment, and there cannot, therefore, be any asforations l. The upper end of the tube is open,

surance that the grease has contacted the inner While t e bottom end s osed.

bearing to afford complete lubrication. Threadedly received on the lower portion of The present invention provides an apparatus the u 5 is a cone s cone a n a pluwhereby both the inner and outer bearings, as fly of Spaced fl t 9 in ts Surface. The 39 well as the hub, of a wheel may be efiiciently Wheel H h e bealmgs and b are to be 111- flushed and cleansed t effect complete removal bricated, is located about the tube 6 so that the of n of t 1d lubricant race of the inner bearing rests upon and is sup- Another object of the invention is to provide P d by the e 3.

a device whereby, after flushing, the bearings A Second 00m? U, Whose Surface is plain and d h b may b completely repacked it fresh devoid of flutes, 1s threadedly received on the grease to assure satisfactory lubrication. pp portion of e tu e 6 and is screwed down Another object of the invention is to provide until e C fi y e es and seals the ina device whereby the'flushing and repacking opher race of the outer bearing of the wheel I0;

40 erations may be accomplished without the neces- Attached the p pp d of the tube 40 sity of disturbing the grease seal, and with a 6 is a Valve l2 having a r fitting o minimum of labor and time. which is attached a flexible hose I 4. The oppo- With these and other objects in view, the insite end of the hose I4 is connected to a reservoir vention resides in the features of construction, l5 which is designed to retain a grease solvent,

arrangement of parts, and combinations of eleas kerosene. Attached to the upper end of the 45 ments, which will hereinafter be described, refreservoir i5 is a pipe or hose l6 leading to a erence being had to the accompanying drawing, source of air under pressure. A filler spout I1 is in which: provided on the tank through which the grease Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in solvent may be introduced into the reservoir.

59 section, of the apparatus with a front wheel in A screen i8 is provided in the upper end of the position ready for flushing of the old grease tube 6 at the lower end of the valve l2 for refrom the hub and wheel bearings; moving grit or other objectionable abrasive sub- Figure 2 is a side elevatlonal' view of the destances from the solvent or flushing oil as it is vice as it appears when assembled for repacking introduced into the wheel hub.

the hub and bearings with fresh lubricant; Flushing of the wheel hub and bearings to re- 55 move the old grease is accomplished by opening the valve II. This permits the solvent or flushing oil in the reservoir 15 to be forced under air pressure into the tube 6. The solvent or flushing oil is expelled from the tube 8 under such air pressure through the apertures 1 into the hub of the wheel where it erodes, loosens and agitates the old grease. The old grease and the solvent escape from the wheel hub through the upper and lower bearings, and that portion of the flushing escaping through the lower bearing drops into the pan 20, discharge being facilitated by the provision of the flutes 9 of the cone 8.

After flushing, the solvent supply and valve I2 are detached from the tube 6 and the cone II retracted from the tube, after which the wheel I is removed. The tube 6, and the attached cone 8, are then removed from the base I A grease injector tube 2| is then substituted for the flushing tube 6 in the nave of the base i. The grease injector tube 2| is somewhat similar to the construction of the flushing tube, being exteriorly threaded throughout its longitudinal extent except for a plain portion devoid of threads located midway between its ends. This plain portion is provided with a plurality of aligned perforations 22 whose diameters are preferably larger than the apertures l of the tube 6. The opposite ends of the tube 2| are closed, but the upper end is provided with a lubricating nipplc 23 designed to accommodate the chuck of a grease tool or gun.

The tube 2| has a plain cone 25 threaded on its lower end in lieu of the fluted flushing cone 8. The Wheel hub is placed in encircling relation about the tube 21 so that the inner race of the inner bearing rests upon and is supported by the cone 25. The cone II is then threaded on the upper end of the tube 2| and screwed down substantially tight against the inner race of the outer hearing. The chuck of the grease gun (not shown) is then applied to the nipple 23 and the fresh grease may thereby be forced into all parts of the hub and bearings under pressure through the perforations 22.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for lubricating the hub and bearings of an automobile wheel comprising a tube, a member received on said tube and adapted to underlie one of the hub bearings and support the wheel in encircling relation on said tube, a second member received on the tube and adapted to contact the other of said hub bearings, perforations in said tube adapted to be disposed within the hub of the wheel to be lubricated, and means for introducing a substance under pressure into said tube to be expelled therefrom through said perforations into the wheel hub.

2. A device for lubricating the hub and bearings of an automobile wheel comprising a tube adapted to have a portion of its longitudinal extent encircled by the hub of the wheel to be lubricated, a conical member received on said tube and adapted to contact one of the hub bearings, a second conical member adjustably received on said tube and adapted to contact the opposite hub bearing, perforations in that portion of the tube encircled by the wheel hub, and means for introducing a substance under pressure into said tube to be discharged therefrom through said perforations into the wheel hub.

3. A device for lubricating the hub and bearings of an automobile wheel comprising a tube adapted to have a portion of its longitudinal extent encircled by the hub of the Wheel to be lubricated, a fluted conical member received on said tube and adapted to contact one of the hub bearings, a second conical member having a plain surface received on said tube and adapted to contact the opposite hub bearing, perforations in that portion of the tube encircled by the wheel hub, and means for introducing a substance under pressure into said tube to be discharged therefrom through said perforations into the wheel hub.

4. A device for lubricating the hub and bearings of an automobile wheel comprising a base, a tube supported by said base and adapted to have a portion of its longitudinal extent encircled by the hub of the wheel to be lubricated, a conical member received on said tube and adapted to contact one of the hub bearings, a second conical member received on said tube and adapted to contact the opposite hub bearing, perforations in that portion of the tube encircled by the wheel hub, means for introducing a substance under pressure into said tube to be expelled from said tube through said perforations into the wheel hub, and a receptacle to catch any of said substance which may be discharged from the wheel hub.

5. A device for lubricating the hub and bearings of an automobile wheel comprising a tube adapted to have a portion of its longitudinal extent encircled by the hub of thewheel to be lubricated, a tapered member received on said tube and adapted to engage and seal the inner race of one of the hub bearings, a second tapered member adjustably received on said tube and adapted to engage and seal the inner race of the opposite hub bearing, perforations in that portion of the tube encircled by the wheel hub, and

means for introducing a substance under pressure into said tube to be discharged therefrom through said perforations into the wheel hub between the bearing seals.

CECIL JACKSON. 

